If you're having a difficult time losing weight after 40, it's not your imagination. As women age, losing weight does become more difficult. The location of weight also shifts to your stomach area, which increases your risk for serious disease, like breast cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes. Understanding why weight loss is more difficult as you age and making lifestyle changes will help you meet your goals.
Causes of Weight Gain
Women 40 and older struggle with weight gain for a variety of reasons, such as hormonal changes and heredity. Your metabolism also slows down, which means you need fewer daily calories for body functions. You may have struggled with excess fat in your legs or hips before. Now, as fat starts to shift to your midsection, you may find it even more difficult to lose.
Calorie Consumption
If you haven't evaluated the recommended calorie intake for your age, it's time to take a look. As you reach 40, you need fewer calories then you needed in your earlier years. Women ages 40 to 50 need 1,800 calories if sedentary, 2,000 calories with moderate activity and 2,200 calories if very active, according to the American Heart Association.
As you reach 51 years of age and older, these calorie needs change again. For example, over the age of 51, you need 1,600 calories for a sedentary lifestyle, 1,800 calories if you're moderately activity and 2,000 to 2,200 calories if you are very active. Talk with your medical provider about healthy calorie range for you.
Fighting Inactivity
Regular exercise is an effective tool for women over the age of 40. Since your metabolism slows down, you need physical activity to boost your metabolism and burn more calories. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that women over the age of 40 get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity weekly. Moderate activity includes exercise such as brisk walking, water aerobics and riding a bicycle on level surfaces.
Burn more calories with vigorous activities, like running, high-impact aerobics or jogging. You only need one hour and 15 minutes of this type of activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Strength Training
Strength training is important for women over 40 for a few reasons. Building muscle increases your body's ability to burn fat, resulting in faster weight loss. It also increases bone density, which minimizes your risk for osteoporosis. Regular strength training sessions will also increase your focus and improve stamina.
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